The After AfterParty
by KassandraLeighWeston
Summary: One Halloween at Hogwarts, the students participate in a fancy dress ball, staff vs students Quidditch, and a secret after-party party, where a drunken game of Truth or Dare reveals a hidden desire between two of the most infamous students...
1. Chapter 1

It was All Hallows Eve and the castle was buzzing with excitement. Breakfast itself was an unusual affair; the tables hung with orange and black tablecloths and laden with pumpkin pies and bat shaped cookies, along with the usual pumpkin juice and eggs and bacon. Bats had been enchanted to swoop around the hall in spirit of the occasion, and the only thing out of keeping was the lack of traditional spiders in their webs, on account of the very real fear of one Mr. Ronald Weasley.

The occasion was marked with festivities this year due to the excitement that had descended over the school as the result of the World Cup Quidditch final that England had won the previous week. Dumbledore, who looked upon holidays such as Halloween with the joy of a five year old child, had finally persuaded the rest of the staff to consent to a day of celebration.

A timetable had been drawn up by McGonagall (with the aid of Hermione and her colored pencils) outlining special events and games that were to take place during the day. A late and leisurely breakfast had been provided, after which an afternoon of Quidditch between the staff and pupils was to take place. In the evening a Halloween party was to be held in the Great Hall, with fancy dress (and a prize for the best costume), and various games and activities reminiscent of Muggle years past. Even the Slytherins with their usual distaste of such events (and in particular any ensuing muggle components) had been washed away on the tide of happiness that had descended down upon Hogwarts like an April shower.

Ron and Hermione were already seated at the Gryffindor table as Harry entered the Great Hall. Hermione was talking to Ginny about the ideas she had for her costume in a hushed voice as he sat down and poured himself some Pumpkin juice.

"Have you heard about the after-party party?" Ron had asked him, his mouth full of pumpkin pie.

Harry paused in the process of buttering a piece of toast shaped like a witch's hat, and peered curiously at his friend.

"After-party party?" he asked.

Ron nodded, brushing crumbs from his jumper. "Yeah, some of the seventh years have decided to hold an exclusive party. Seamus has got hold of some Firewhisky and apparently Crabbe and Goyle have managed to pinch some kegs from somewhere. Should be fun."

Harry looked incredulously at his friend as if he had just uttered the words, "Yes I have admitted my feelings for Hermione and we are getting married next week. Oh and Voldemort wears pink bunny slippers."

"What do you mean 'it should be fun'? Beer supplied by Crabbe and Goyle? A party with the Slytherins? I'm not quite seeing where this is fun."

"People from all of the houses will be there. Should be no problem, mate. Besides, everyone will be drunk by then. The punch will be spiked at the Halloween party y'know?"

Ron gave Harry a wink and pointed with his head towards Fred and George sitting at the other end of the table.

"Do I have to go?" Harry asked. "It doesn't sound like a good idea to me."

"Of course you have to go, mate. And it will be fun. I promise. We are all going to get drunk and be merry and have a couple of games of naked Twister."

Harry choked on his pumpkin juice and Ron thumped him on the back, laughing.

"I was joking mate. Calm down. There isn't going to be any naked Twister, maybe naked dancing though!"

The afternoon was spent outside on the Quidditch pitch, where the whole school had congregated to watch their Professors play against some of the best student players the school had ever seen. The rules had been changed slightly to accommodate the preferred positions of the players, and thus there were two Seekers on each side. Dumbledore and Snape were the Seekers for the staff team, although how Dumbledore could ever spot the little golden ball with his eyesight was anybody's guess. Naturally, Potter and Malfoy were the Seekers for the school team. Neither boy felt particularly comfortable with the idea of playing for the same side, but both stubbornly consented to working with the other in the name of 'thrashing the teachers arses' as Ron had so eloquently put it.

Half an hour into the game, Malfoy spotted the Snitch and was about to race forward to claim his prize when Harry put his hand out and grabbed his arm, bringing him to a jolt and almost knocking him off his broom.

"What the hell are you doing, Potter?" Malfoy spat. "The Snitch is over there, I could easily catch it."

Harry frowned at him and indicated over to the other side of the pitch where Dumbledore was perched on his broom grinning manically at the players who flew around him.

"Look at him will you, I've never seen Dumbledore so happy. We can't go catching the Snitch this early on. Besides, what will we do for the rest of the afternoon?"

Malfoy narrowed his eyes at Harry as he turned it over in his mind.

"I don't think Snape would agree with your assessment," he said, his eyes fixing on a spot behind Harry.

Harry turned and quickly stuffed his fist into his mouth to hide his laughter as he spied the Potions master. Snape was sitting sidesaddle on his broom like an eighteenth century damsel, his voluminous robes billowing around him. His distaste for the game was evident.

"Yeah, but since when did Snape agree with anything I ever said?" he replied, turning back to Malfoy grinning.

Draco could not help but smile. The look on the Head of Slytherins face was priceless and he wouldn't give it up for the world, even if it meant catching the Snitch in this pointless charade.

The game casually sauntered on for a couple of hours, the Professors looking more haggard by the minute. Dumbledore had fallen asleep on his broom, his chin drooping onto his chest. Every so often he would let out a rather loud snore, causing whoever was idly playing with the Quaffle to drop it in surprise. McGonagall was sitting bone straight on her broom, intently watching out for Bludgers as the Head teacher slept next to her. Snape had given up on playing a long time ago, and he now sat daintily on his broom with his legs crossed, a Potions textbook resting open on his lap. Madam Pomfrey was busy shouting "Watch out!" to any player who came within a hundred yards of a Bludger, obviously flustered from keeping track of any potential accidents that could occur. Professor Trelawney was flying around in a jaunty circle, her bug eyed head snapping from side to side as she mumbled to herself, "I see the Snitch. No. I see the Snitch. No. Wait...there it is. No!" The rest of the staff team had abandoned the skies and all sat on the edge of the pitch near the student team hoops, sipping tea from dainty china cups.

Harry and Draco were both bored out of their minds, as were the majority of the spectators who were all slumped in their seats, napping. Harry lazily glanced around the pitch and stifled a yawn. Suddenly the Snitch zoomed out of nowhere and hovered in front of Dumbledore's sleeping face.

"Do you want to get it or shall I?" he nudged Draco.

Draco shrugged "Doesn't matter," he replied, studying his fingernails.

"You take it then, I'm feeling generous today," Harry said with a smirk he had learnt from Draco, the Smirk Master himself.

Draco nodded once and stretched his arms out behind his head, working the muscles in his shoulders, before flying slowly towards the Snitch, looking for the entire world as if he were taking a Sunday stroll in the park. He reached out and plucked the Snitch from the sky by one of its wings. It seemed that even the Snitch had stopped bothering to play.

Silence.

Up in the stands Hermione nudged Seamus who was commentator for the match.

"Draco Malfoy has erm...caught the Snitch. The students win!" he shouted.

The crowd woke up and roared to life, cheering more that the game had finally finished than for the result it produced.

Dumbledore woke up with a start, his sleep filled eyes focusing on Draco.

"I nearly caught it you know!" he declared cheerfully, beaming around at Snape, who just rolled his eyes.

As eight o'clock rolled around, the students finally emerged from their respective dormitories. A strange assortment of costumes had been created from both magical and Muggle means and the students gawped at each other as they entered the Great Hall. The Weasley twins, who were dressed in matching Victorian costumes, had magically created a flesh bond between them, joining them at the hips. The Siamese twins shuffled their way over to the punch bowl and emptied a 70% proof bottle of Muggle brandy into the mixture with a smirk.

Ron and Harry walked over to Hermione and studied her with bewildered looks on their faces.

"What on earth are you supposed to be?" Ron asked her.

Hermione sighed and turned her eyes to the ceiling. "Don't you read?" she asked. "In 'Hogwarts: A History' it explains how one Lady Eleanor of Norway died in this very castle on Halloween five hundred years ago. I am she."

"How did she die?" asked Ron

"She killed herself," Hermione replied. "She was in love with her Charms teacher. Unrequited of course, and she couldn't stand it when he finally took a wife. So she flung herself off of the Astronomy Tower."

Hermione raised her wand and with a flourish swished it against her neck.

Ron and Harry jumped back, startled as Hermione's head rolled to the side as if she had snapped her neck.

"That's gross Hermione!" they declared in unison.

"You have no appreciation of History," she sniffed, her nose in the air. Suddenly her eyes narrowed as she stared at Harry, her gaze lopsided on account of the broken neck.

"And what are you?" she asked.

Harry looked down at his black Tuxedo and walking cane and twitched his moustache up at her. He had decided on wearing contacts for the evening, thinking glasses wouldn't really be something that went with his costume.

"I'm Gomez Addams," he said.

"Who?" asked Ron.

"Muggle character. Never mind," Harry told him.

"No need to ask what you are," Hermione said, looking at Ron in disgust.

Ron grinned from underneath his black hooded robe.

"Pretty cheap and tasteless if you ask me," said a sneering voice from behind the trio. "A Death Eater. You could have tried to use your imagination, Weasel."

Behind them stood Draco Malfoy. There was no second guessing his costume. He wore tightly fitting black linen trousers and a showy white dress shirt which was frilled at the collar and cuffs. A black velvet cloak was thrown over his shoulders, and a silver clasp in the shape of a coffin sat at his throat. His pale blonde hair had been slicked back, reminiscent of the style he wore in the first two years at Hogwarts. Draco was grinning, revealing twin ivory fangs. A single drop of blood was delicately smeared at the corner of his mouth.

"A vampire, that's original," Harry said. "It's not like 90% of Muggles dress up as vampires on this very night."

"Ah," said Draco waving his arm in a flourish. "But I am not just any vampire. I am THE Count Dracula; pure blood, exquisite taste, lots of money."

"Did he hate Muggles too?" Hermione asked.

"No. Just Mudbloods," Draco declared before flouncing off to join Crabbe and Goyle who were both dressed as Executioners, complete with plastic axes.

Ron looked like he was about to take after Draco and punch him.

"Leave it Ron," said Hermione, placing a hand on the angry redheads arm. "He isn't worth it. Let's just have some fun. Shall we go and get some punch?"

"Yes! The punch!" Ron declared with a twinkle in his eye, Malfoy already forgotten.

The party was decidedly a success. Both Professors and students were feelings tipsy on account of the spiked punch and the small stalls that had been set up around the circumference of the hall, advertising apple bobbing and 'pin the tail on the three headed dog', had been kept busy all evening. The best costume prize had eventually been won by a first year Hufflepuff girl who had dressed as an octopus. As midnight approached, the seventh years eyed each other warily, both reluctant and anxious to get to the after-party party. It had been decided that it would be held in the Slytherin common room, the most spacious of the four houses and the furthest away from the staff areas. Malfoy and Blaise Zabini had already spent a couple of hours that afternoon casting silencing spells around the common room to ensure they would not be discovered.

As the clock struck midnight, Dumbledore (who was dressed as a wizard called Gandalf from a Muggle series of books), clapped his hands and rose the dimmed lights.

"Thank you all for such a wonderful celebration," he said. "And well done once again to the student team who only just managed to beat us earlier at Quidditch."

With that a wave of giggles washed through the room as students tried not to laugh.

"Now all of you off to bed," continued Dumbledore. "And I am glad there will be no after-party parties in the Slytherin dungeon room!" he finished, his eyes twinkling.

The seventh years exchanged smug glances, safe in the knowledge that the Headmaster had all but given his permission for the revelries to continue (although it was unlikely he would have approved of the alcohol if he had known).

The after-party party was just getting into full swing as Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the Slytherin common room. Candlelight filled the room, providing the only illumination, and eerie shapes danced on the walls. Students stood around half a dozen giant kegs in the corner, taking turns at filling their glasses. Others stood in tiny groups, holding onto each other for support as the drink took effect. Malfoy was sitting on one of the leather sofas, pretending to gnaw at Pansy Parkinson's neck with his fangs. Crabbe and Goyle stood guard either side of the entrance, their plastic axes held stiffly by their sides as they drunkenly rocked and tried to focus on the room.

"Glad you could make it, Potter!" Malfoy declared in a false tone, leaving Pansy's neck for a moment to join them. "Do make yourselves at home and have some beer."

Harry frowned at him, trying to gauge how drunk he was, and whether he would fall over if he pushed him. He decided he wasn't worth the effort.

"Come now Potter, don't tell me you don't drink. Although I wouldn't be surprised, being the Golden Boy and all," Malfoy said.

"I drink," Harry replied through clenched teeth, and as if to prove the point he snatched Malfoy's glass from him and downed it in one long gulp.

Malfoy's grin grew wider, his fangs peeking out menacingly.

"That's better Potter," he said. "But next time get your own glass." He tossed Harry a smirk before returning to the sofa, grabbing another beer on his way.

"Better get to it mate before there isn't any left!" Ron said from beside him, rubbing his hands together in glee.

"Ronald Weasley, you are not to get drunk. You neither, Harry," said Hermione sternly.

"Oh leave off, 'Mione," said Ron, pouting, "It is a party after all."

"Too right!" said Harry, suddenly deciding that if he had to attend a party he had no desire to attend, then he may as well do it drunk. He grabbed Ron's shoulder and dragged him towards the kegs.

"Boys," mumbled Hermione under her breath before joining a group of Ravenclaw girls who were engaged in a debate about the origins of Halloween celebrations.

An hour and a significant amount of beer later, Ron and Harry turned away from the keg and plunked themselves down on the floor.

"I think I'm drunk, mate," Ron said, squinting up at Harry.

"I think you're right," Harry slurred back.

The pair of them collapsed against each other, giggling. A few minutes later they caught their breath and Ron peered at Harry with a worried look on his face.

"Harry," he said.

"Ron?" Harry replied, studying the bottom of his glass, wondering where the beer had vanished.

"Don't move, but there is a big hairy caterpillar crawling on your face."

Harry froze and managed to squeak out "Where Ron? Get it off!"

Ron reached over and plucked the fake moustache from Harry's upper lip.

"I think it's dead mate," he said. "He died of the fumes from your alcohol breath,"

Neither boy noticed Malfoy approaching them as they wrapped the moustache up in a handkerchief, intent on giving it a proper burial in the morning.

"Having fun?" Malfoy asked his voice pitching.

Harry and Ron looked up solemnly at Malfoy.

"We were, but there was a caterpillar and it died and so now we are in mourning," Ron said, his voice sober, unlike his mind.

Malfoy sank onto the floor next to Harry and tried to get his alcohol soaked brain around Ron's comment.

Suddenly Pansy appeared, seemingly a lot more sober than the rest of the students.

"I think it's time we played some games!" she said, her eyes flashing.

"Oh Pans!" Draco groaned, looking like he couldn't move if Snape approached him wearing a tutu, informing him he would be in detention for the next decade if he didn't get up.

"Dracoooo," Pansy whined. "You promised, remember? It will be fun."

"Oh yeah, bloody good fun," Draco whispered under his breath.

"Of course, Pansy dear," he said, pasting a smile on his face. "What do you want to play?"

"Truth or Dare," Pansy declared, grinning.

All three of the slumped boys let out a groan this time, but Pansy could not be deterred.

"Come on, it's a party," she said. "We have to play games. Besides, what could be more fun than humiliating a bunch of drunken Gryffindors?"

Draco brightened considerably at this and he relented.

"Okay, get some people together and bring them over here. And if I am made to do anything that involves standing up then I will not be happy."

Pansy smirked and raced off to gather some people together, most of whom had to either be bribed with beer or threatened with a hex.

Finally a group of twenty or so students made their way over and sat down in a circle on the floor. Crabbe and Goyle had finally abandoned their posts at the door and dragged a keg over to join them. Pansy handed out fresh beers, and despite their normally better judgment, Harry and Ron accepted them without protest.

"Please tell me you didn't agree to play," Hermione said, appearing next to Ron.

Harry shrugged. "May as well," he said.

"Yeah, c'mon 'Mione," Ron moaned. "You may even enjoy it."

"I find that very unlikely Ronald Weasley. I, for one, am not blind drunk. Secondly, I know better than to play any game, never mind Truth or Dare, when Slytherins are present."

"Stick in the mud-blood," Draco mumbled.

"I have no intention of playing these childish games," Hermione continued. "But I will sit here and watch, just to make sure nothing untoward happens," she stared pointedly at Draco, who shrugged.

"Okay," said Ron "I'm going to go first."

"Why do you get to go first?" Draco asked, obviously put out.

"Well, do you want to?" Ron asked, refilling his glass.

"I don't care," Draco replied, slumping heavily against the wall, leaning into Harry, his eyes shut.

"Shut up then!" Ron said.

He cleared his throat, and looked at the people who were seated around him.

"Crabbe," he said, "Truth or Dare?"

"Huh? Oh, dare," Crabbe declared.

"Idiot," Draco mumbled. Harry smiled next to him, only Crabbe (or Goyle for that matter) would be stupid enough to ask for a dare on the first turn.

"Okay, I want you and Goyle to slow dance around the room, cheek to cheek," Ron declared with glee.

Draco sniggered in spite of himself, and pried open one eye to watch.

Crabbe shakily got to his feet and bowed towards Goyle, offering his hand.

"Wud ya care for a dance?" he asked.

Goyle took the offered hand and pulled himself up, nearly pulling Crabbe over in the process.

Pansy waved her wand and the rock music that had been blasting around the common room hushed into a slow love song. Crabbe took the lead and wrapped an arm around Goyle's waist, his other hand clasping Goyle's. They started to shuffle around the room as strains of 'Moon River' floated through the air.

The students who hadn't drunk themselves unconscious started laughing, and soon everyone was laughing so hard they could hardly move. Next to Harry, Draco shook as he suppressed his laughter, tears threatening to run down his cheeks.

"Oh God," he squeaked, "I can't breathe."

The song ended and Crabbe led Goyle back to his seat, bowing once more.

"Your turn to ask now, Crabbe, since you got the dare," Pansy told him.

Crabbe appeared to be thinking for a moment, the rusty cogs turning in his already overburdened brain.

"Potter, truth or dare?" he asked finally, a look of satisfaction crossing his face.

Harry looked warily at him, and deciding that he would probably end up chained to the outside of the North Tower covered in honey if he picked a dare, opted for a truth. Crabbe smile widened and Harry suddenly decided he had picked the wrong choice.

"Are you a virgin?" Crabbe asked. Breaths were sucked in all around the room as the students awaited his answer. Draco felt Harry tense beside him, and smirked.

"Well, Potter?" he asked quietly.

"Oh fuck," Harry declared. "Okay okay, I'm a virgin. Happy?"

"Oh yeah, tremendously. The thought of you having sex with anyone makes me want to puke," Draco said. "And I don't want to waste any beer."

Harry shoved him with his elbow. Draco yelped but didn't move.

"Hey, it's not like we didn't all know that anyway," Draco said. "Goody goody Gryffindor isn't exactly going to be some sex god is he?"

Harry frowned but ignored the comment.

"Pansy," he said instead. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," she said without hesitation.

Harry sat there in silence for a moment, trying to work out what he could ask her that would provide the most incriminating answer. He couldn't think of anything he particularly wanted to know, and then suddenly it popped into his head.

"Have you ever shagged Malfoy?" he asked.

"Nope," she sighed wistfully, her eyes flickering over to Draco, who just smiled.

"She isn't going to either," he whispered just loud enough for Harry to hear.

"Okay, my turn!" Pansy said, sitting up grinning.

"Why do I get a bad feeling about this, Pans?" Draco drawled, looking at her from under half shut eyes.

"Maybe because you know me too well," she said. "Draco, truth or dare?"

"Oh sod it, dare," Draco said "There isn't anything you can think of that would be shocking anyway."

"Oh yeah? You think so do you?" she asked slyly. "I take it you don't think it's shocking that I am going to ask you to kiss Harry Potter? With tongues?"

There was an audible gasp amongst the students. Draco's mouth hung open in surprise.

"You wouldn't," he hissed.

"Too late, already have. Do it Draco. Or do you want the double dare? We all know what that is. If you would rather streak naked through the corridor and go and knock on Snapes door and ask to borrow some boxers, then be my guest."

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Draco thought. How the hell did I get myself into this mess?

"Do I get a say in this?" Harry piped up.

"No!" everyone said in unison, even Ron and Hermione who exchanged a brief knowing look.

"Traitors!" Harry cried, folding his arms across his chest.

Draco suddenly felt a lot more sober, and he sat up, moving away from where he had slouched against Harry. He cleared his throat.

"Okay then," he said "I'll do it. I'll kiss Potter."

He moved in front of Harry on his knees and slid towards him, a smirk on his face, and one elegant eyebrow raised in question.

Harry gulped and tried to push himself as far back against the wall as he could, which wasn't very far at all.

Draco grinned at his discomfort, revealing his fangs. He looked almost predatory in the candlelight, his silver eyes burning. He slowly moved closer and closer to Harry until their faces were only a couple of inches apart. He drank in the scared look in Harry's deep green eyes, and suddenly he realized that in this current situation he held some strange kind of power over Potter. It wasn't the power he felt when he was standing in front of him spitting insults. This time that vaguely annoyed look in Harry's eyes had given way to one of pure fear, which upon reflection was a much better look to yield power over.

Draco licked his lips, noticing the way Harry's wide-eyed gaze flickered down to his mouth. He ran his tongue over the tip of one of his sharp little fangs, and he saw Harry draw a deep breath. Harry's eyes darted back up to meet Draco's. He looked like a deer caught in headlights. The room was deathly silent as everyone waited and watched, unsure if in their current drunken states they were actually witnessing Draco Malfoy about to kiss his number one rival, Harry Potter.

Draco leaned in closer, and felt the hot gasps of Harry's breath tickling his face. He reached out and brushed his lips against Harry's, capturing them in a kiss that surprised both of them in its gentleness. His eyes locked with Harry's, and he sucked Harry's bottom lip, eliciting a tiny shudder from his enemy that he was sure only he had noticed. Draco flicked his tongue out over Harry's lips, demanding entrance. He reached up and cupped the back of Harry's head with one hand, his fingers curling into his soft hair.

He felt Harry pull back a little and then he relented and melted into the kiss, his eyes slipping shut. He parted his lips slightly and Draco darted his tongue inside, gasping as his tongue met with Harry's. He suddenly felt Harry's hand press into the small of his back, drawing him near. Despite his hastily put together plan, Draco gave in and pushed even closer, his eyes closing. The kiss drew deeper and more passionate as Harry began to kiss him back, his tongue fighting Draco's for dominance. Draco felt a thick warmth spread down from his abdomen and his trousers suddenly became very tight...

There was a loud cough, and then another. Draco pulled back sharply, his breath rapid and his eyes wide.

"I think you were enjoying that more than you should have been," Pansy said with a strange look in her eyes.

The silence hung like a shroud in the air, and Draco turned to see every student frozen to the spot, their jaws slack. He swallowed thickly, the taste of Harry still clinging to his lips.

"What can I say? Good acting," he tried, with a sneer.

The students seemed to consider this, then relaxed into broad grins and finally cat calls. It was easier for their drunken minds to accept that he was a good actor than the shockingly obvious truth that Draco Malfoy had actually liked kissing Harry Potter.

Draco turned to Blaise and asked him to do some stupid dare that involved him standing on his head while balancing a beer glass on his feet and singing all three verses of the National Anthem. As the students turned their attention towards Blaise, Draco slumped back down against the wall, suddenly exhausted. He found himself leaning against Harry again, increasingly aware of the heat that flowed from him. He glanced at Harry from under his eyelashes and saw that he was paying as little attention to Blaise as he was. Draco shifted slightly so he was facing Harry side on, and slouched back down. Anyone who was watching would have presumed that Draco had fallen into a drink induced slumber against Harry, who was of course too polite to shove him off.

Draco found his face level with Harry's neck, the expanse of golden skin stretching out to him. He saw the faint beat of his pulse flickering at his throat, and suddenly he needed to taste him. He leaned in just a little more and pressed his lips to Harry's neck, noting how Harry's muscles tensed at his touch. Draco feathered tiny kisses across Harry's neck and then nipped him gently with his fangs like the good little vampire he was. Harry's breath hitched slightly, audible only to Draco. Draco bit a little harder, the razor sharp fangs slightly piercing the unblemished flesh. Harry whimpered and moved an inch closer as Draco marked him for himself, leaving Harry with a tiny pair of mementos of the evening.


	2. Chapter 2

It was much later in the afternoon when Harry finally made his way into the common room.

"Harry!" he heard Hermione call, and turned towards the fireplace where his two friends were sitting. "Harry, where have you been all day? I haven't seen you since Professor Snape threw you out of Potions, and-" She broke off here, staring at the disheveled boy before her. "_Harry_," she scolded, "_what_ have you been doing?"

"Um…" The green-eyed boy looked a bit sheepish, and scratched the back of his neck. "I was out flying," he finally replied, though he didn't meet either of his friends' eyes.

"Fell off your broom, did you?" Ron commented sarcastically. Harry absently touched his cheek, wincing at its soreness.

"Oh, well…I meant I was just out flying now. This…ah…well I kind of got into a fight with Malfoy…again. Earlier."

"Oh, Harry," Hermione sighed, beckoning him over while Ron snickered. Harry tentatively walked over and let Hermione grab his chin and cast a simple healing spell.

"Thanks," he grinned. He leaned over the couch, spotting the box from Fred and George resting between his two friends. "Have you found out what it does yet?" They looked confused for a second before catching onto what Harry was referring to.

"Oh, the mistletoe, you mean?" Ron replied. He handed the box to Harry, shaking his head. "No, as far as we can tell, it's just plain old mistletoe." He frowned. "Bit disappointing, really."

"Did you test it again?" Harry asked.

"Well…no, but-"

"I've checked it over, there's no love trance or love potion or anything spelled into it," Hermione cut in.

"You sound so sure of yourself," was Harry's reply. "Happy Christmas, then!" he said cheerfully, and held a piece above Ron and Hermione's head. Ron promptly blushed, glancing nervously at their bushy-haired friend, while Hermione rolled her eyes and pursed her lips primly.

"Really now, Harry, be serious," she said, shaking her hair out of her face.

"Oh I am serious," the raven-haired boy grinned. "Pucker up, Hermione!"

"Harry!" Ron shouted nervously.

"This is ridiculous," Hermione said, exasperatedly. She gathered up her books and went to stand up off the couch, but suddenly jarred and dropped back down as if she'd hit her head on an invisible wall of some sort. "Ow! What…?" Tentatively, she lifted up her hand and all three Gryffindors watched as it apparently was blocked by…something.

"H-Harry…" Ron started to say, reaching out to his sides only to find that invisible wall there again. Before he could stop himself, Harry started snickering. "Harry, it's not funny!"

"It's bloody hilarious! Ron, your brothers are geniuses!" Harry exclaimed through his laughter. Then he yelped suddenly, yanking his hand away from the mistletoe. It remained hanging in the air, as he cradled his hand slightly.

"What was that?" Hermione asked quickly.

"It-it burned me!"

"_Burned_ you?"

"Yeah…" Harry reached for the mistletoe again, but retracted his hand immediately and starting laughing again. "Oh, oh that's priceless! You can't move it!"

"No- what- no! Wait, what do you mean?" Ron stuttered.

"You can't figure it out?"

"Um…"

"We have to kiss," Hermione spoke up, still cautiously feeling around for whatever was surrounding them. "It's…there's some sort of…of _force field_ around us. I bet it won't disappear until we've kissed. And apparently you can't move the mistletoe." Not that she sounded unhappy about that. Ron swallowed nervously.

"Force field?" he repeated weakly.

"Muggle term," Harry offered.

"I know what it means!" Ron snapped, and Harry held up his hands defensively. He watched as his two friends glanced nervously at each other, and Hermione's lips quirked up into a shy smile. Harry looked at them intently. "Um, Harry…?"

"Yeah?"

"Harry, if you don't mind…" Hermione said pointedly, glancing at the boy out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh…right." Grinning again, Harry dropped down behind the couch and sat with his back against it.

"Harry!"

"I'm not leaving! You'd better get a move on before you sprout horns or something," he said cheerfully. He heard some rustling on the couch and then silence, so he carefully turned around and peered over the top of it. Ron, still bright red, had one hand gently holding Hermione's chin as he kissed her softly, while she looked like she was in pure bliss. He let them continue on for a few moments, before speaking up. "Awww, well it's about time, isn't it?" he said, and the two promptly broke apart, the mistletoe dropping to the couch as they did.

"A-a-about time for what?" Ron stuttered nervously, glancing away from Hermione. The girl quickly started straightening out her hair and clothes as she stood and moved away from the sofa.

"Yes, Harry, it was only because of the mistletoe," she said quietly. But then she paused, face going still as her eyes narrowed. "Why else would Ronald have any cause to kiss me?" Before they could answer, she gathered up her books and swept up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

"Wait, Hermione!" Ron called, but the only reply he got was the sound of a door slamming. He winced.

"Oh, brilliant, Ron," Harry sighed, coming around the couch to sit beside the boy. Ron crossed his arms and pouted.

"I didn't even say anything!" he protested, looking glum. Harry shrugged.

"Yes, but I expect she's getting tired of waiting, just the same."

"Waiting for what?"

"Waiting for- oh, if you can't figure it out then you don't deserve her!" Ron sighed, and the two boys were quiet for a bit, staring at the fireplace and watching the low flames flicker.

"So tell me about this fight with Malfoy," Ron said after a few minutes, and Harry was quick to indulge.

"I got him good this time!" he exclaimed, eyes brightening as he turned to face Ron. "It was like this…"


	3. Chapter 3

For whatever reason, there were more people than normal staying at Hogwarts over break this year. Harry figured it was because most parents simply thought that the school was the safest place their children could be at the moment. Hogwarts' Christmas dinner, therefore, was a rather boisterous affair compared to previous years. There was even an unexpected amount of Slytherins staying over break, so Harry had spent much of his dinner glaring at a certain blonde across the hall, surprised that he, in particular, was there because he hadn't seen him at all during the first few days of their vacation.

"Why do you suppose he's even here?" he asked at one point, cutting into a conversation that Hermione and Ginny had been having.

"He, who?" his bushy-haired friend returned, eyebrows furrowing.

"Malfoy, of course."

"Malfoy's here?" Ron broke in, suddenly tuning into the conversation. He cast a quick glance to the Slytherin table, catching the blonde as he sent a mocking wave towards the Gryffindors. "Weird, doesn't he usually go home?"

"Well, he was here second year," Harry reminded him.

"Oh yeah!" Ron chuckled. "The polyjuice thing. That was a trip, wasn't it? I still say Hermione never looked better than she did with that tail." He and Harry shared an amused grin as Hermione huffed and crossed her arms.

"_Polyjuice?_" Ginny spoke up. "And when was this?"

"Er…it's not important…" said Harry, uncomfortably remembering the unfortunate experiences of the girl's first year. She rolled her eyes, seemingly accepting his answer, and turned to talk to someone else. "Anyway, Malfoy, why do you suppose he stayed?" Ron shrugged, but Hermione's eyebrows shot up.

"Well, where else would he go? Home?" she asked, as if the answer was obvious. She was rewarded with two blank stares. "Oh, for the love of- Don't you read? Don't you pay _any_ attention to _anything?_ Harry, I thought you were reading the papers religiously nowadays. In fact, I'd rather guessed that was part of the reason you two were fighting so much!" The stares were still blank, though Harry was starting to look a bit sheepish.

"Erm, only over the summer, Hermione. When I'm back at school, I guess I figured any important news would spread quickly." Hermione let out a breath in exasperation.

"Well…I guess it was a pretty short article. And it wasn't even on the front page. I think they were trying to keep it quiet, I mean, it's bad enough with Lucius a confirmed Death Eater and out of Azkaban, but-"

"_Hermione_," Ron cut in. "Get to the point, would you?" Harry took a moment to wonder how they could act as if nothing had happened between them the previous week, and decided he might as well just give up on their hopeless case, before turning his attention back to Hermione.

"Draco's mother is missing," she revealed, voice dropping to a whisper. "He can't go home because the Aurors have the place completely sealed off. They've been searching it for weeks." Ron was starting to look excited about this news, but Harry had stilled in shock.

"Wicked!" his red-haired friend exclaimed. "For how long?"

"Since this summer," Harry replied, still absorbing the news and feeling furious at Malfoy for lying to him.

"No, that's not right," Hermione said, and Harry shot her a confused look. "She's only been missing since…well, since Halloween. But nothing happened on Halloween. I think that's why the Daily Prophet actually kept it quiet, though, so as not to rouse suspicion and make people worry."

"Since Halloween?" Harry repeated, continuing at Hermione's nod. "So that's only about two months…"

"They didn't even report it until mid-November." Hermione gestured with her head in the general vicinity of the Slytherin table. "Bet _he_ was worried out of his mind, not receiving any notes from his mother for nearly half a month."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Harry, _you_ noticed that, don't you remember?" When he shook his head, the girl sighed and raised her eyes skywards.

"Oh, I remember!" Ron spoke up, catching the attention of the other two. "You started pointing out how Malfoy's owl had stopped showing up. For about a week, actually." The red-head frowned. "Still not sure how you knew which owl was his, really."

"I- well- It used to show up nearly every day!" Harry spluttered.

"Malfoy was jittery that whole week," Hermione continued, ignoring him. "And then he looked miserable for another week after the news came out. That's when you started fighting with him even more so than usual."

"He starts those fights, you know," said Harry indignantly.

"Really, Harry, you spend quite a bit of your time focusing on Malfoy. It's starting to become a nasty habit of yours."

"Wha- I do not! Tell her I don't…_focus_ on Malfoy too much!" Harry turned to Ron looking for support, but the boy shrugged helplessly.

"You sort of do, mate." He held up his hands defensively when Harry's face hardened. "I hate him as much as you do, I promise! But honestly, I don't even know what you fight about anymore."

"We…I…he…um…" Harry tried to explain, trailing off into confused silence. "It's…difficult to explain."

"Try us," Hermione said, raising an eyebrow. Harry's cheeks slowly reddened.

"Um…but he starts it!" he said desperately. "I swear he does! He just keeps…_nagging_ and I can't take it! He's like…like an annoying little gnat or something!"

"Really now, Potter, surely I'm not that annoying," a drawling voice interrupted, and Harry and Ron turned around in their seats to see Malfoy looming behind them, his two hulking bodyguards absent for once. "And I'm sure I'm damned more attractive than a _gnat_."

"Who said anything about your looks?" Ron muttered, turning back around and sharing a look with Hermione. "We'd have been referring to a rat or ferret if that was the case." Malfoy opened his mouth to retort, but it snapped shut again when Harry grabbed his robes and threw him off balance as he dragged the blonde down into the seat next to himself.

"What- Potter!" Malfoy cried crossly.

"You _lied_ to me!" Harry shouted angrily, and the Slytherin at least had the decency to blink in confusion.

"Did I now?" he asked, after a slight pause. Hermione and Ron watched in interest.

"You told me your mother wasn't missing!" Hermione gasped slightly, while Draco blinked again.

"Oh," he said flatly. "You're referring to that." He leaned back against the table, legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankle, looking for all the world as if he regularly visited with Gryffindors in the Great Hall. "Actually, I was a bit surprised you didn't already know. I guess I figured Ms. Brains over here would have told you, had you not heard it from Dumbledore himself."

"Don't call her that, Mal-! Oh wait…" Ron yelled, and Hermione promptly threw her napkin at him.

"Hold on, you honestly don't have any idea where your mother is?" Harry asked, steering Malfoy's attention away from the antics of his friends and back to himself.

"Not that it's any of your business, Potter, but no, I don't."

"Well then…what if she's still missing by summer? You can't stay at Hogwarts the whole break, can you?" Malfoy slowly drew in a deep breath, eyes narrowing.

"I turn of age in January, I imagine I'll be able survive on my own without mommy and daddy dearest," he said snidely, nose wrinkling.

"Harry, when were you and Malfoy discussing this?" Hermione asked curiously. Harry blushed slightly and started to vehemently deny the thought that he'd been _discussing_ anything with his rival, but the Slytherin intervened.

"It was after our latest fight got us thrown out of Potions," he answered, and Harry glared at him. Smirking, he continued, "Speaking of, we haven't fought in nearly a week, Potter. I know you're missing your bruises, are you up for a tumble any time soon?" Ron snorted and Hermione coughed slightly, while Harry stared incredulously at the boy.

"I think not, Malfoy," he replied slowly. Draco shrugged, but at that moment a shrill voice called to him.

"Draco!" Pansy was shouting, standing at the entrance of the Great Hall, as she'd been making her way out, and staring at her friend in shock. After all, he was sitting with _Gryffindors_.

"Ah, well, not that I don't _love_ chatting with you all, but I must be off," Malfoy said, standing and brushing down his robes.

"That's right, Malfoy, your girlfriend's calling for you, after all," Harry smirked, and the blonde raised an eyebrow at him.

"Girlfriend? Who have you been talking to?" Malfoy returned the smirk and started to walk away. "Ta, Potter! I'm oh-so-looking forward to our next encounter." Harry watched him saunter out of the Great Hall, arm interlocked with Pansy's, and turned to his two friends.

"They're not going out?"

"Who cares," Ron said, shrugging and finally digging into his dessert again. Hermione shook her head.

"Never went out," she replied. At Harry's surprised look, she went on to say, "They only went to the Yule Ball together. As friends."

"Oh."

"Well, come on then, you two," Hermione said, pushing her plates away and standing up. "We need to get ready for the party." 


	4. Chapter 4

Due to the amount of people who had stayed behind, the D.A. had decided to throw themselves a Christmas party in the Room of Requirement that night. Dobby had taken it upon himself to help decorate, once again, so the room was very cheery. Harry was just thankful there were no decorations dedicated to him again. It ended up being quite fun and continued on late into the night, long after the eggnog and cookies were gone. Harry had mingled the whole time, wandering from group to group and talking to all his peers. He'd caught sight of Ron, Seamus, and even Zacharias Smith at one point, snickering throughout the night, pointing to something that Harry could never really figure out. Eventually, at some time past eleven, people began filtering out of the room, until just the Gryffindors were left. They all sat chatting around the fireplace for a little while longer, but then Ginny suddenly remembered something and rushed out of the room, Dean following her. Seamus, Neville, Lavender, and Parvati retired right after that, which left Harry, Hermione, and Ron sitting in a comfortable silence.

"Do you think if we just _require_ the room to be clean, it'll pick up everything itself?" Hermione asked eventually, snuggled into her corner of the couch. Ron was sitting next to her, but not too close, and he kept fidgeting with his hands. Harry chuckled.

"It's a nice thought," he said from his position on the floor where he was leaning against another armchair. "But I expect the house elves will probably clean it or something." Hermione 'hmmed' in agreement, looking just a bit guilty about leaving the work for the house elves. Ron sat on his hands, nodding absently. He was flushed slightly, but then Harry cheeks also felt hot, and he figured it was from sitting so close to the fire or something. Of course… The green-eyed boy glanced back and forth between his friends, and eventually smirked. He stood, stretching his arms above his head, and headed towards the door. "Well, I'm beat, I think I'll turn in," he said lightly. "Happy Christmas, you two!"

"Wait- Harry!"

"Stop, no, don't leave yet!"

Harry sighed in exasperation, turning in the open doorway and leaning against the side. "Yes?" he asked, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows expectantly. His two friends looked sheepish, mouths opening and closing like a couple of fish as they searched for a response.

"Oh, how quaint." Harry frowned as he heard that drawling voice interrupting one of his conversations for the second time that day, and he looked to his side to find Malfoy leaning against the opposite door jam. He vaguely heard a muffled exclamation from inside the room, but ignored it.

"You again?" Harry asked with a sneer. "What do you want now?"

"I was bored," Malfoy shrugged, "and wandering through the castle when I suddenly heard annoyingly loud voices coming from this direction. I saw your dorm mates walking away, and remembered that this is where we caught you lot last year. So I decided to come and make sure you weren't…up to anything." The blonde smirked and crossed his arms, glancing into the room, before his smirk faded a little. "Instead I see you were just having a party that I wasn't invited to."

"Why would we invite you?" Harry asked, eyebrows raised. Malfoy frowned, brow furrowing.

"Was it just you Gryffindors, or were the other Houses here as well?" he asked sharply.

"They were here."

"…I see." Something about his tone made Harry feel uncomfortable and…slightly guilty? The Slytherin was still looking about the room. "Seems like you had fun," he commented, sounding only slightly bitter. Harry suddenly felt the need to explain or defend himself or something.

"Ah…well it- it was just the D.A., really," he stuttered, feeling nervous for no reason he could comprehend. Malfoy didn't respond right away, staring at Harry's friends instead, as they appeared to be whispering urgently to each other. In fact, they'd been awfully quiet since the boy had arrived…

"Is there something wrong with your friends, Potter? I'm assuming you were trying to give them some alone time. So sorry I interrupted," Malfoy said, not sounding sorry at all. Harry finally looked towards his friends, surprised to see their horrified faces.

"Ron, Hermione, what-" He broke off there, noticing that their gazes were directed…directed above…them… Harry swallowed, and at the same time he and Malfoy glanced up.

Right above them, hanging innocently in the doorway, was a single sprig of mistletoe.

Draco burst out into a callous laughter, while Harry's eyes began to widen and his face paled.

"Oh, please!" Malfoy cried, reaching for the mistletoe. "If you honestly expect me to-"

"No, Malfoy, don't!" Harry tried to warn, but the boy was already grabbing at the sprig. He immediately yanked his hand away, yelping and shaking it out, before glaring at the Gryffindors.

"What the fuck was that?!" he cried, still shaking his burned hand. Harry swore, hands digging into his hair as he turned to meet Ron's wide-eyed stare.

"R-Ron! Is…is that…?" Ron nodded slowly as Hermione looked on helplessly. "Oh, bloody hell!"

"Seamus and I were commenting on how ironic it was that everyone was walking single-file in and out of the door. I think most people spotted it beforehand," the red-headed boy explained weakly.

"Shit!" Harry exclaimed. "Shit, shit, fuck, wanker, bugger, SHIT!" Hermione giggled and Harry shot her a glare.

"Would someone mind _explaining_ to me just what the hell is going on?" Malfoy asked angrily. Harry ignored him, thrusting his hands out to the side, only to find them blocked from going too far. And the harder he pushed, the more the invisible wall seemed to push back, until his arms were nearly completely bent at the elbow. He quickly stopped shoving, face paling further. He heard a gasp of mixed shock and horror, and looked up to find Malfoy curiously reaching out to see what Harry had been feeling for. "What-what is this?!"

"My brothers…" Ron started to explain, but trailed off helplessly, as if that was all the explanation needed. And really, it was.

"Oh, bloody fuck!" Malfoy groaned.

"They sent Harry and Ron an early Christmas present," Hermione explained further. "One of their latest holiday products. It's…you have to kiss the person you're caught under it with. Um, as far as we know, there's no other way out…"

"You might as well do it, Harry," Ron said, trying his best not to sound disgusted. "Knowing Fred and George, there _isn't_ another way out."

"NO!" Harry and Draco shouted at the same time. Malfoy backed himself as far against the doorway as he could, but strangely found himself being pushed forward until his feet were nearly touching Harry's. He glance bewilderedly over his shoulder, startled to find that he was now leaning against…nothing. Or something, rather, but it was invisible, apparently.

"Stop it! Malfoy, stop pushing!" Harry cried, and the blonde relaxed a bit.

"What's it doing?" he asked frantically.

"I don't know! The more you push, the smaller the…the enclosure gets! So just…don't!" The blonde let out a slow breath.

"I feel claustrophobic…" he muttered, eyes wide as he glanced around as if looking for a way out.

"What- Malfoy, you can't even tell we're trapped!"

"I can feel it!" the blonde snapped, and Harry rolled his eyes. The two boys stood quietly for a few minutes, arms crossed in similar postures as they tried to figure out what to do. Then suddenly they felt like they were shoved forward and both flew off balance, landing against each other in a tangle of arms. "What was that?" Malfoy asked quickly, sounding panicked. Harry straightened up, dropping his hold on Malfoy, only to discover that they were now even closer together. When they both leaned against their respective 'wall,' their feet were now next to each other, one of Harry's in between Draco's and vice versa.

"Um, I guess there's a sort of…time limit, as well," Hermione spoke up, though she appeared to be holding back a laugh.

"It's not funny, Hermione!"

"Right, sorry." She immediately schooled her face into a blank expression, but her eyes were dancing in amusement. Harry thought she and Ron looked as if they were watching a movie or something.

"You could try to help, you know," he said petulantly.

"I don't think there's anything we can do, mate," Ron answered.

"Well think of something!" Malfoy demanded. They all quieted down again; though there really wasn't anything they could think of doing. As luck would have, though, they could suddenly hear footsteps and voices coming from down the hall.

"Harry, Ron! Are you guys still in here?" Ginny was calling as she turned around the corner.

"Oh, thank God," Harry sighed as he saw who she was followed by. Fred and George.

"Harry, I forgot to tell you all! These two gits owled today and said they were going to visit tonight for Christmas, since we weren't going home. I found them in the common room showing off their stuff to the first and second years and- Malfoy!" Ginny halted right outside of the room, finally spotting the blonde, and her brothers pulled up behind her. "What are you doing here?"

"Ask the twin prats, why don't you?" Malfoy replied sullenly, crossing his arms and scowling.

"Harry, mate!" Fred cried, slapping the boy on the back before slinging an arm around his shoulder. "How goes it?"

"Horrible," the green-eyed boy replied, before he did a double-take on Fred's arm. "Wait, you can touch me?"

"Should I not be able to?"

"Oi, Fred, look," George interrupted, grinning widely as he pointed up. Ginny gasped and Fred burst out into laughter like Malfoy first had.

"Oh, that's priceless!" he cried, bent at the waist from laughing so hard.

"Fred, George, this is not something to laugh about!" Ron exclaimed, and the twins looked up, finally spotting their brother in the room.

"Ronniekins!" Fred greeted, bounding past Harry into the room.

"This is serious, Fred, stop it!" Ron growled, pushing off his brother's advances. Hermione grinned.

"Hello Fred, George," she said happily. "Maybe you can help us out here."

"'Fraid not," George answered, also stepping past the trapped boys. Harry and Draco shared a confused glance, before they were suddenly shoved closer together again.

"Ahh," Harry said nervously, attempting to slow his breathing and wondering if he should just stop all together. With every breath they took their chests bumped against each other, and Harry was almost positive he could hear the other boy's frantically beating heart. He watched, almost mesmerized, as Draco's cheeks turned a light pink. Fred's voice interrupted his concentration.

"I expect it'll do that one more time," he was saying, "before it stops." Course by then you'll be shoved so close together there wouldn't be any room to push you closer anyway." He was rewarded with horrified looks. "Oh, and outside people can walk through the barrier. It's only the two trapped who can't get through it. Gin, come on in!" The red-headed girl shrugged at Harry, and slipped past, taking a seat on the couch next to Ron.

"Would…would you just explain the whole thing?" Harry asked desperately. "Why can't you help us?"

"Because there's only one way out, and I'm pretty sure you know what it is," George answered.

"Well explain the mistletoe, anyway," Hermione said, looking interested.

"Simple, really. We warned you for a reason, you know," said Fred.

"Yeah, obviously you get stuck with the other person, no matter who it is," George added.

"The only way out of the, eh, force field, we'll call it, is to kiss."

"If you wait too long, the 'box' you're in gets smaller and smaller."

"And if you try to resist the barrier too much, it also gets smaller."

"You can't move the mistletoe to try to get out of it, either." Fred and George glanced at each other, before grinning. "Oh, and there's one more thing."

"The longer you wait…" Fred started to say.

"The longer you have to kiss," George finished, and a shocked silence in the room.

"We…but…ah…b-but Ron and Hermione-!"

"No, Harry, remember," Hermione spoke quickly. "Ron and I kissed for…well, for a _semi_-long time."

"But Seamus-"

"Kissed Dean right away," Ron said. "Didn't put up any fuss at all, did he?"

"Great, I'm trapped with the boy-from-a-house-of-queers," Malfoy muttered. But he looked distinctly uncomfortable, pressed as far against his boundary as he could be without causing it to push back.

"Oh, bugger off, Malfoy," Harry snapped.

"Oh believe me, I'd be glad to, Potter, but in case you haven't noticed," Draco gestured around them, "I can't!"

"Well, as amusing as this is," George cut in, as he stood up and stretched, "I didn't come all this way to watch Harry snog Malfoy, so I think we should really leave them be."

"Right," Fred grinned, also standing. "Besides, at this point they'll be at it for so long, you'd think they were newlyweds." Harry groaned, head falling back against the barrier. Malfoy, if possible, paled even further.

"Sorry, mate," Ron said, following his brothers, "But I really don't want to watch." Ginny and Hermione nodded, giving Harry sympathetic smiles as they slipped past him through the door.

"No, wait, you…you can't just _leave_ me with him!" Harry cried. Draco just looked like he was in pain. Ron shrugged.

"Um…well, don't bother waking me up to tell me about it," he said, smirking lightly. "Somehow I think this will be even less exciting than last year's." With that, the Weasleys and Hermione disappeared down the hall, Harry's wide eyes following them. What followed were even more minutes of uncomfortable silence, before Malfoy sighed heavily.

"Look, Potter-" He was prevented from saying anything else because it was at that moment that the walls decided to do their final shove. Both boys let out a rush of air as their chests slammed together, and Harry braced his arms on the wall behind Malfoy while the blonde's hands landed awkwardly on Harry's hips. Startled, their eyes met and went wide.

Harry felt like he was having trouble breathing, and while he told himself it was because of the pressure against his chest from Malfoy, he wasn't exactly sure if that was the entire truth. It was suddenly unbearably hot in their small enclosure, and Harry's hands unconsciously fell onto Malfoy's shoulders. He'd never been so intimately close to anyone before, and just the feel of another body so close to his own was causing him to react in ways that left him feeling dizzy, hot, and confused. He drew in a shuddering breath, eyes still locked in Malfoy's mercury gaze, and vainly tried to move his hips backwards and out of contact with the other boy's.

Draco was drawing in quick, gasping breaths, his hands tightening on Harry's waist when he felt him try to move away. Not exactly sure what he was doing or what he was even trying to accomplish, he pulled Harry back towards himself, and both boys gasped when their hips ground together. Malfoy moaned, eyes sliding half-closed, and Harry's let his head fall onto the blonde's shoulder.

"Malfoy," he said breathlessly. The boy responded by pushing Harry as well as he could against his half of the wall, and his arms wrapped completely around Harry's waist. The green-eyed boy's head fell back against the wall again, eyes also sliding half-closed. Slowly, almost nervously, he too wrapped his arms completely around Draco's neck, and thrust his hips forward slightly. Malfoy grunted.

"Potter," he returned hoarsely. "What say we get this thing over with?" Harry nodded quickly before he could change his mind and leaned forward to gently meet Draco's lips.

This kiss was drastically different than the one he had shared with Cho a year ago in this exact same spot. For one thing it wasn't wet since Draco _wasn't_ crying, and Harry was immensely grateful for that. The feel of the blonde against him was also different, from the hard, sharp angles of his chest down to the different hardness he could feel pressed against his own. Malfoy's lips were surprisingly soft, though, causing Harry to vaguely wonder if his own were. Then all thoughts flew from his head when Draco gently ran his hands up Harry's sides, and he gasped slightly.

Draco quickly took advantage of that, running his tongue along Harry's bottom lip before slipping it into his mouth and intertwining their tongues. Now, this, Harry was new to. His eyes flew open when he hadn't even realized that they'd been closed, and he groaned, nearly melting into the other boy. Their kiss deepened, mouths clashing together, and Draco's hands were now caressing Harry's jaw.

Harry was the one to break it off, but only because he needed air to breathe, and he and Draco leaned their foreheads against each other, breathing deeply.

Neither noticed the mistletoe falling softly to the floor.

"Breath through your nose," Draco instructed softly, and he felt Harry nod in response. The green-eyed boy reached up and removed his glasses, before clutching his arms around Draco's neck again and leaning in to resume their kissing.

It was more energized the second time around, mouths meeting eagerly and tongues swirling around each other and sucking gently. Draco managed to work his hands up under the shirt Harry was wearing, and was caressing the hot skin he felt there. Harry hooked a leg around Draco's knee in response, trying to pull the other boy as close as possible to himself. The problem with this, however, was that the barrier around them had disappeared when the mistletoe fell. So when Harry tried to lean back, there wasn't anything there to support him. Both boys' eyes shot open, mouths ripping apart as they tumbled to the floor, landing inside the Room of Requirement. They only paused in shock for a few seconds, panting, with Harry's shirt pushed halfway up his chest, before their mouth crashed together again.

Harry was arching up into the blonde above him when it finally hit him that they were free and really didn't need to be kissing anymore. It took a few more seconds for his body to catch up with the hazy thought process of his mind, and Harry stilled before shoving Draco off of him.

"What the-?! Oh…right," the Slytherin mumbled. He let out a huge sigh and rested his hands on his stomach, staring up at the ceiling. Harry followed suit with the sigh, absently putting his glasses back on crookedly before tucking his hands behind his head. They remained like this for a few, surprisingly comfortable, minutes of silence. Eventually, Harry pushed himself up off the ground, blushing when he remembered he had to straighten out his shirt. He attempted to smooth out his mussed up hair, but gave up on that pretty quickly, ignoring Draco's piercing stare following his every move.

"Well," Harry said, glancing around anxiously. "Er…Happy Christmas, then, Mal-…Draco? Erm, Malfoy. Happy Christmas, Malfoy." Quickly he began walking out of the room, pausing only slightly when he heard Draco respond.

"Same to you, Potter," the blonde was saying. Harry turned and met his stare briefly, lips quirking up into a slight grin, before he left the room completely. 


	5. Chapter 5

The following days passed slowly and lazily, spent doing homework in their cozy common room or having snowball fights on the Quidditch pitch. Ron, true to his word, had nearly acted as if the whole incident with Malfoy had never evened happened. Hermione, however, seemed determined to drag every detail out of Harry, and Ginny helped. And despite Ron's claims, Harry was sure he'd been listening while pretending not to.

Not that Harry had told them the exact truth of what had happened. In fact, he'd pretty much made up an entire story about how the whole thing had nearly turned into another fight between the two boys. He'd added claims about his tongue nearly being bit off, while he was sure he'd split Malfoy's bottom lip with the harshness of their kiss. It was all very elaborate, told without being able to look into his friends eyes and there was a constant blush on his cheeks.

That was perhaps the reason that Hermione had eyed him doubtfully throughout the whole thing.

Harry hadn't spoken to Malfoy at all since that night. They'd seen each other at mealtimes, but were blatantly ignoring each other. Even when they happened to pass in the halls, they didn't even look twice at the other boy. Harry was beginning to wonder if they'd ever even fight again. Then he wondered how he'd be able to hold down any reactions if they _did_ fight, because he was nearly certain he wouldn't be able to handle that slim body on top of his again, rolling around and…

He promptly blushed, ignoring Ron's questioning glance. It was New Year's Eve, so they were once again enjoying a celebratory feast in the Great Hall. For lack of other things to do, the D.A. was once again holding another party in the Room of Requirement that night. Harry had checked every inch of the room to make sure there was no mistletoe hanging about. Once satisfied, he began mingling again.

It was probably nearing 11:30 when Harry began to get bored. He'd retired to one of the couches, nursing a butterbeer, and feeling oddly glum. Glancing around the room, he noticed the different cliques of friends. For the most part, it was Ravenclaws huddled with Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs giggling with Hufflepuffs, and Gryffindors talking with-

Oh. That's what it was.

Harry glanced around the room again, and once he was sure that no one was paying attention to him, he slipped out the door into the slightly cooler corridor. He felt like he needed to- no…he _wanted_ to do something, but it required a quick detour first. Practically jogging down the hall, Harry made his way to Gryffindor tower quickly, grabbed the Marauder's Map, and headed back out into the hall. He'd hoped that his target was somewhere he'd actually be able to get to, so he was relieved to find Draco Malfoy's name wandering around the Astronomy Tower.

By the time Harry had climbed the numerous staircases, checking every so often to make sure Malfoy hadn't left, he nearly positive it was almost midnight. Panting from rushing so much, he leaned against the wall outside of the room Malfoy was in, trying to catch his breath. Slowly, he squared his shoulders, knocked gently against the slightly open door, and peered into the room.

"Malfoy?" he called softly, looking around the darkened room. There were a few lit candles hanging in the air, casting a soft glow on the room. Harry spotted the Slytherin sitting at one of the open windows, cheeks red from the cold wind brushing against them. He glanced up, looking slightly surprised to see anyone there.

"Potter?" he asked, almost warily, "What are you doing here?" Harry didn't really have an answer to that, so he hovered awkwardly in the doorway instead, shoving the Marauder's Map into one of his pockets.

"I…well, I got bored," the Gryffindor replied.

"You, bored?" Malfoy raised an eyebrow, sounding incredulous. "I didn't think it was possible for _you_ to get bored, surrounded by your numerous friends as you normally are. Don't tell me your precious D.A. wasn't having some sort of party tonight," he continued sarcastically. Harry flushed.

"Actually they were, that's where I just came fro-," He stopped quickly, when Malfoy's face darkened. Apparently he hadn't actually known there _was_ a party going on. "Uh…I mean…well, they _were_… But…but I left, because I was bored… And-and I came looking for you instead."

"You mean you didn't just stumble upon me accidentally?" the blonde asked darkly.

"No!" Harry insisted. "I…well, I guess I wanted to…to see if you wanted to come. To the party. I…you can bring Pansy…or someone else, uh, Zabini? Blaise? Is that his name?" He trailed off helplessly, watching as an amused smirk appeared on Malfoy's face.

"Blaise went home for the holidays, and Pansy wouldn't step foot in a room filled with Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, even if you paid her to," he said, still amused. "You don't honestly expect me to believe that you want _me_ to join your friends at that party, do you?"

"Well…"

"You're allowed to come into the room, you know, I don't own it," Malfoy said lightly, turning back to look at the snow-covered grounds. More snow had fallen since dinner, so there was an untouched blanket of white glistening under the moonlight. Harry stepped warily up to the blonde, leaning against the window beside him. They stared into the night in silence for a few minutes, and Harry reveled in just being able to relax in peace for once, though it felt strange that he could be like this with _Malfoy_ of all people.

"I don't understand you this year, Malfoy," he said eventually, glancing at the blonde out of the corner of his eye. Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"And you understood me in previous years?"

"Yes. Well, no, maybe not, but I understood where you stood with me. I knew how you would act around me, I knew how I would act around you… It was a constant thing in my life, something I could actually rely on, something I knew would never change, though maybe that's not exactly how I thought about it at the time." Harry paused, before continuing in a rush. "You were there before Voldemort, before Ron and Hermione, before Sirius and Dumbledore and Remus. You were the second person I met from the wizarding world and if you hadn't reminded me _painfully_ of my cousin, maybe things would have been different…but the fact is they weren't. And yet somehow you wormed your way into my life and made yourself an important part of it. You're a right prat, don't get me wrong," he said lightly, finally turning to face the other boy only to find that Draco'd been staring at him the whole time. "But somehow I knew _you_ would always be around, being your stupid prat self. Sirius…Sirius died, Remus I don't get to see much, and Dumbledore I barely even trust anymore. Hagrid's still gone with the gi-…well, Hagrid's gone." Harry sighed.

"Touching, Potter, really, but-"

"Shut up, I'm not done," Harry snapped, He took a deep before continuing again. "And then this year…I don't know what happened, or maybe it's because your father was…gone, all summer, but you changed. I already had Ron and Hermione acting weird around me because of Sirius, not to mention they keep spending more and more time together though they can't admit they like each other, and when they finally do I'll really become the third wheel… I wasn't expecting you to change how you acted around me too, and that threw me for a loop. And the fights…well, the fights I actually enjoyed, but it's just not the same!" The Gryffindor looked desperately at his attentive audience. "You don't hate me anymore! You haven't called Hermione a Mudblood in ages, you really just _tease_ me now, more than anything, and I don't understand where it's coming from!" Draco stared at Harry impassively for a minute before turning to look out the window.

"I don't know what you want me to say," he said at length, quietly.

"Just tell me why!" Harry demanded. Draco sighed, fingers clenching around the window seal, turning his knuckles white.

"There's nothing to say! I do still hate you, I don't know where you got that-"

"No you don't!"

"Look, Potter, if I say I hate you, then I do!" Malfoy growled, facing the boy again.

"No," Harry shook his head stubbornly. "I know you don't."

"FINE!" Draco burst out, chest heaving. "Fine! What do you want to hear? Do you want me to tell you that I never really hated you? That I was just…_angry_ the whole time?! I _hated_ that you chose Weasley over me! I hated that you became friends with stupid muggleborns like Granger, and that you went off gallivanting about through your little _adventures_, never once giving me the time of day! I was never good enough for you! No matter what I did, you wouldn't look at me with anything other than that…that _loathing_ look, like I was a bug you only wanted to step on so I would finally be out of your way. In everything, Quidditch, friends, classes, _family_ even, you always had to make it known that what you had was _better_ than what I had." Malfoy paused here, still breathing heavily while Harry watched, wide-eyed. "I hated that part of you, that part that _never_, even from day one, took the time to find out if there was more to me than what you _assumed_ there was. I hated that no matter what I did, you would always consider me beneath you." He looked away, before saying softly, "I never hated _you_."

Harry was speechless. He took a few minutes to gather up his scattered thoughts, trying to form a coherent response. "Malfoy…you…well what was I supposed to think?!" he finally cried, drawing the other boy's eyes back to meet his. "You certainly never attempted to show me that there was…_more_ to you! First year you turned us into McGonagall, second year there was the whole Heir of Slytherin thing, third year you tried to get Hagrid sacked, fourth year you made up all sorts of ridiculous stories about me, and should I even get started on all the crap you pulled last year? And that's not even half of all the shit you've done!" Draco frowned, crossing his arms.

"And you expect me to believe that you considered me important, after all that?" he asked flatly.

"Yes!" Harry said exasperatedly. "Because I knew you'd _always_ be like that! I knew you wouldn't suddenly declare your love for me or something! You were the one constant thing in my life that I could count on _not_ changing. …Even if you were an _annoying_ constant." Draco smirked.

"I was a bit of a brat, wasn't I?"

"Yes," Harry answered, smiling slightly. "See, and then there's this year, and this right now," he gestured between the two of them, "and I don't know what's going on anymore."

"Well…I _was_ pissed at you for getting my father thrown in jail," Draco started to explain. "When he escaped…I don't know what I was expecting. I guess I half thought he'd come home and things would continue as they normally had." Here he let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah, right. So now he's been in hiding for nearly five months, and my mother's also missing, and somewhere along the line I realized that…that I didn't want to live like that." He glanced at Harry, eyes narrowing. "I'm not stupid, you know. I'm second in our class, right behind Granger-"

"You're tied with Terry Boot, actually, according to Hermione." Draco shot him a glare, and he blinked, grinning. "Sorry, continue." Draco sighed.

"Well, tied or whatever, I'm still second. I'm smart. The Dark Lord's a hypocritical psychopath…did you know he's a half-blood himself?" At Harry's nod, he continued. "I have plans for after school. I want to have a job, a place of my own, a wi-…a family… You can't have that when you're a Death Eater. I'd be living in a gutter somewhere, trying to make sure no one would ever find me. Who wants to live in hiding? And…the whole muggleborn thing…I still think they're a danger to our kind, and I don't think they should be admitted to our world, but I'm not about to go out and kill them all. Fact is, the wizarding world is getting smaller and smaller, and people like Granger are, as much as I hate to admit, a necessity for our kind to keep going."

"When did you realize that?" Harry asked curiously.

"Second year, really, when my father was berating me for letting her have higher scores than I did and I realized that she was actually just _good_ at what she was doing. Not that I didn't absolutely hate her even more for that, mind you."

"That long, huh?"

"Yeah." There was another silence, interrupted by the sounds of cheers coming from around the castle. Far off in the distance, the sky lit up periodically with what Harry guessed was fireworks.

"I guess that's the turn of the New Year," Harry commented, laughing a little. Draco 'hmmed' in agreement.

"So, any resolutions for yourself this year, Potter?" he asked.

"Nothing specific," Harry answered. "I guess things will really be different from now on, though. I don't know if I'll be able to fight with you anymore."

"Whoa now, Potter, I never said I was switching sides or joining the Order or anything of that nonsense. And we're certainly not going to be friends, by any means.

"Right, Malfoy," Harry replied, chuckling. But then what the Slytherin had said caught up with him. "Wait, how do you know about the Order?!" he asked, shocked. Draco blinked, cheeks going pink.

"Oh…well, I might have…um…already discussed things with Dumbledore." At Harry's stare he added, "A while ago, actually." Harry continued to stare. "Back in October, now that I think about it. Of course, I talked to Professor Snape first." Now Harry's jaw dropped open.

"And no one thought to tell me this?" he cried. Draco shrugged.

"I guess not," he replied innocently. Harry sighed in exasperation.

"Malfoy, can we start over?" he asked, and the blonde looked at him in confusion.

"How do you mean?"

Harry thrust his hand forward, looking into Draco's eyes.

"Hello, my name's Harry Potter," he said easily. Draco blinked, eying him warily and glancing down at his hand. Images flashed through his head, old memories of meeting this small, scared looking boy in Madam Malkin's robe shop, of the sheer hurt he'd felt when his hand had been rejected, of years of jealousy and anger and longing for something that he still didn't quite understand. He was so tempted to walk out right then, just so Potter would know how it felt. But…

Slowly, he reached out and took the other boy's hand, gripping it warmly and tightly in his own.

"Draco Malfoy," he said slowly, smiling slightly. "Pleasure to meet you." Harry grinned, pumping his hand up and down.

"I think you and I will get along just fine…Draco." The blonde burst out laughing, and Harry was almost positive it was the first time he'd ever heard the warm, cheerful sound. It sent shivers down his spine.

"Oh boy, does _that_ sound weird…" Draco said, grinning. It made his entire face light up, and Harry could only stare at him in awe. "…Harry."

"I like you calling me that," Harry said softly, still in awe. Draco's grin softened.

"I like _calling_ you that," he replied, and before Harry could say anything, Draco had cupped his face in his hands and was pulling him forward. Their lips met softly at first, before Harry took the initiative and pulled Draco deeper into the kiss, wrapping his arms around the slim boy's waist as their tongues wrapped around each other.

Around them, people cheered and partied the New Year in, but Harry and Draco were oblivious to their celebrating, too busy exploring each other instead.


End file.
